


The Frozen Forest

by yellowcacti



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Creekclan, F/F, F/M, Icicleclan, OC Clans, OC Story, Original Characters - Freeform, Original Story - Freeform, Other, future story, starclan cannon characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-12-25 17:02:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18265628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yellowcacti/pseuds/yellowcacti
Summary: A dark grey-white speckled tom rested his head. "I don't know what we're going to do. She's too weak to join the other apprentices, she's seven moons old."The tom resting next to him showed worry in his expression, as well as his tone, "Frozenleaf, we need to do something.""But what can we do?" The toms tone sadden, looking into the puddle. "She can't run like the others, she can barely keep up with the kits!"The other tom shifted, "I have an idea."Frozenleaf shifted on his paws, uncertain. "What would that be?"He paused for a moment, thinking over himself as he stared off into the puddle in front of him. "I think you should take her own as an apprentice. It's the best for all of the clan."The smaller tom dropped his head and tail in shame. "Okay, Icestar.""You're a great cat, Frozenleaf. You're going to teach her great things. Things that the other cats can't teach her. I want you to talk to her in the morning, see what she thinks. Remember, the clan depends on this."Frozenleaf looked off at his leader as he walked away, watching his paws as the left marks in the dew covered grass. "Oh Starclan, what am I going to do?"





	1. Chapter 1

 "Come on, Dewkit!" A paw prodded at the small-she cat's side, making her blink her grey eyes open. She rose from her moss-covered nest, shaking her blue-grey fur.

  "Can we play a game today?" Another voice mewed.

  "Please? We didn't get a chance to play yesterday!"

  She blinked at the bundles of fluff surrounding her. "Branchkit," she mewed at a white tom, "how many times have I told you not to wake me." Despite the tom being three moons younger than her, he was strongly built and larger than her.

  "But, we want to play a game!" A fluffy black she-cat mewed. "Can we please go out and play with you?"

  A tall, light grey she-cat walked up to them. "Woolykit, Branchkit, Rainkit. Leave Dewkit alone, she doesn't want to play right now."

  "It's alright, Birchleaf," Dewkit whispered as the other kits expressions saddened. "I can play with them before going to see Frozenleaf."

  "Thanks, Dewkit." A second she-cat mewed from the entrance. "I understand it can be hard for you."

  "Thank you, Dewkit!" Rainkit, a grey striped tom squealed. "I'll race you to Clawmark Branch!" As if on cue, the three younger kits raced out the entrance to the den, past the she-cat standing there.

  "Sorry, Waterfur!" Dewkit mewed as she stumbled after the three littermates.

  Dewkit raced out of the den, making sure her path was clear as she chased after the others. She was fast, but not fast enough to keep up with the others, but her fur still felt nice in the breeze.

  "Dewkit, watch out!" The small she-cat heard another shout at her from above. She halted, bringing dust with her. "You really need to learn your distances better before you start running halfway across the camp."

  She tucked her skinny tail under her tail. "I'm sorry, Icestar." She was embarrassed, having almost run into her Leader.

  "It's alright, Dewkit." The Leader looked down at the small cat. "Are you feeling alright?"

  Dewkit nodded. "I was just racing to the Clawmark Branch, I guess I forgot to make sure I wasn't too close. It seemed a lot farther away at the den."

  Icestar let out a huff of amusement. "I think you should go see Frozenleaf now, I'm sure the apprentices can play with the kits while you're seeing him."

  She didn't want to argue with her Leader, slowly she started to trail off towards the medicine den.

  "Morning, Dewkit," Frozenleaf muttered as she walked slowly into the den, dragging her tail.

  "Morning."

  The tom walked up to her, a stick in his mouth. "Let's see how those eyes of yours are." His voice muffled through the wood. He placed it on the ground, slowly pushing it closer to the small she-cat. "Tell me when it blurs."

  Half a fox length before it reached her, she muttered. "It's blurry."

  Frozenleaf nodded, before rolling the stick away to the side of his den again.

  "I don't see why I keep have to do this, my eyes are never going to be able to see what's front of me!"

  The tom walked up to the small she-cat, placing his tail on her shoulder. "I think you should come and join me in the Medicine den."

  She flopped down to the ground, swaying her tail in the dust. "Why? So you can watch over me more as I stay a kit?"

  "No," Frozenleaf shook his grey head, "I want you to become my apprentice.


	2. Chapter 2

  "You want me to become your apprentice? A medicine cat apprentice?" Dewkit looks up at the slightly fuzzy cat in front of her.

  "Well, yeah. I need another set of paws to help me out in here." The medicine cat mew was confused by the slightly sarcastic tone of she-cat.  
  


  "Why would you need my help? Of all the cats in the clan, you want mine?"

  Frozenleaf nodded. "Do you want to be my apprentice?"

  Dewkit tried to focus on her paws. "I'd be no use to you. It's better if I just stay a 'kit for forever."

  "Don't say that, Dewkit. You'd be a huge help to me here in the medicine den. Sure everything up close is a blur, but that doesn't mean you can't see clear far away."

  "You're just saying that to may me feel better." She muttered.

   "Really? What are those warriors doing over there? Who are they?"

   She looked out through the willow-root entrance to the den, across the camp. "It's Shinnyfur and Stormlight. I think they're trying to train Slipperypaw."

   Frozenleaf leaned down to the kits ear. "See, I wouldn't have been able to tell that Slipperypaw was over there, despite his dark pelt and his size."

  The she-cat looked up, her grey eyes struggling to focus on Frozenleaf. "You're lying."

  "No, I'm not. And I'm sure that you'd be a real help to the clan as being my apprentice."

  Dewkit stood, shaking her fur. "I'll think about it." Slowly, she left the den- trying to avoid any contact with the other cats -and headed towards the nursery.

  The medicine cat walked through the camp, towards Icestars den- hidden under the Clawmark Branch -and waited. "Icestar, you in there?"

  The grey and white tom stuck his head slightly out of the entrance of the den. "Frozenleaf, you're my medicine cat. There's no need to ask for entry."

  Frozenleaf entered the rather spacious den, to see Icestar talking to his deputy; Willowtail and his mate; Frostheart. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

  "You're never interrupting anything with me. What do you want to talk about?"

  "It's Dewkit."

  Willowtail shifted her long, brown tail. "The poor thing, she's nearly eight moons old now and still considered a kit." She muttered under her breath. Frostheart nodded in agreement. 

   Icestar ignored the two she-cats. "Did she agree to become your apprentice?"

  The small tom twitched his ears. "That's the thing, I'm not sure. She said she'll think about it, but I doubt she'll agree."

  "She doesn't have much a choice, does she?" Frostheart muttered.

  Icestar nodded. "It's the best thing we can do for her, she'd never make it as an apprentice. Her mother's already doing normal Warrior duties again, she feels like her only job is to keep the younger apprentices entertained."

  "Let's just hope she makes the right choice." Frozenleaf's tone was hopeful. "For our sake and Starclans."

  "That took longer than usual, is everything okay?" Birchleaf questioned as the small cat entered the den.

  Dewkit plopped herself down in her nest. "Just Frozenleaf asking more questions than usual."

  "Like what?"

  She rolled to her side, sighing heavily. "Just asking what I could see across the clearing and all that."

  The older she-cat tilted her light grey head. "It sounds like the questions were more than that."

  Dewkit stretched her paws out, not wanting to be questioned all day long while the kits were outside playing. "He wants to become his apprentice."

  Birchleaf didn't question anymore, nor push for more information. "I think you should."

  "Huh?"

  "You aren't much help just napping in here all day. I think it would be good for you."

  Dewkit rolled her eyes. "Yeah, of course, it would be. I wouldn't be under your paws all day."

  Birchleaf flickered her tail tip and Dewkit's nose. "How about you rest here and think about it while I go get you a mouse from the fresh kill pile. I'm sure Waterfur would be proud of you if you took this role up."

  Dewkit then realised her mother wasn't in the den. "Where is Waterfur?"

  "Out on a hunting patrol, I'm sure she's going to back soon."

  "Thanks, Birchleaf. That would be great."

  Birchleaf flickered her tail, pleasingly. "I'll be back soon."

 Dewkit wrapped her tail around her nose, slowly closing her eyes away from her fuzzy-looking den.


	3. Chapter 3

  "All cats that can leave camp, come to the Clawmark Branch for a meeting!" The voice of her clan Leader calling for a meeting had woken Dewkit from her nap.

  "Do you want to join, Dewkit?" Birchleaf muttered to her as she stretched her legs.

  She didn't want to argue and followed Birchleaf out of the den a sat just outside the nursery entrance.

  "The medicine cats will be meeting under the StarTree and the edge of our territory once again tonight. I want all patrols to make sure they stay clear of their path and to stay out of their way. We don't want any issues happening with the clans tonight." Icestar out the group of cats gathered to listen to his words. "Frozenleaf will be leaving soon, but he wants to travel by himself tonight. No patrols are to be near as he goes tonight."

  Cats began to mutter amongst themselves. "Why did he call a clan meeting just to say Frozenleaf was leaving?"

  "Is there something the medicine cats are trying to hide?"

   Dewkit tried to turn around to head back into the nursery when Birchleaf put out her tail. "It's rude to leave in the middle of a meeting, Dewkit."

  "Sorry." She muttered, sarcastically. "I shouldn't even be here. I've never left the camp and I'm still considered a kit.

   "But you're old enough, so you will listen to what he has to say."

  "We will need to strengthen our patrols along the Frostclan border," their Leader continued on, "their scent has been starting to travel over out border once again."

  Dewkit noticed her mother tense up at this, from across the camp. Why does she always get so sensitive about Frostclan?

  "Is there anything any warriors would like to state before we finish?"

  Stormlight stood, prepared to speak. "Slipperypaw has been training well, and he is learning his hunters' crotch very quickly." He spoke fondly of his apprentice, making the younger tom lick his chest in embarrassment.

  "His littermates' training has been going well also." Shinnyfur butted in. "Snowpaw is going well with her battle tactics and has worked well on her speed."

  The last mentor stood, Creekheart. "Streampaw has also worked well in both of those skills, spending most of his time focusing on hunting." The last apprentice shuffled on his paws as his mentor spoke. "He needs to work more on cooperating when going on patrols or hunting in pairs."

  Icestar nodded to each of the mentors to take their seat again. "Willowtail, I want you to sort out a border patrol and hunting patrol to go out when Frozenleaf leaves. Try to include Streampaw in one of them."

  "Sure thing, Icestar."

  "Okay, clan dismissed." Icestar jumped off of the Clawmark Branch and started to talk to Frozenleaf and Frostheart while Willow organised the cats into patrols.

   "I don't see why I had to watch," Dewkit complained. "I don't even know I have to leave the nursery at all, it's not like I'm of any use at all.

   Birchleaf bumped her tail tip of Dewkit's back. "I wanted you to watch because Frozenleaf is leaving to go to the StarTree soon. I thought you might like to go with him, see what it's about and decide if you want to be a medicine cat."

  Hope glimmered in Dewkit's eyes for once. "Do you really think he'd let me?"

  "There's only one way to find out."

  The small she-cat she what she had to do. Without hesitation, she walked off to talk to Frozenleaf.

  "I should be leaving soon," Frozenleaf muttered. "It's going to start to get too cold to do this soon."

  "We'll just have to deal with it while we can, Frozenleaf." Icestar comforted his medicine cat.

  Frozenleaf waved his tail, but as he was about to head off he heard his being screeched at him.

  "Frozenleaf- wait!" Dewkit huffed as she stopped before she could bump into anyone. "I, want to join you."

  "Dewkit?" The tom looked at the she-cat. "What do you mean?"

  She paused, attempting to catch her breath. "I want to join you at the StarTree. To see what it's like, to see if I want to be a medicine cat."

  "There's more to being a medicine cat than going to StarTree, Dewkit."

  "I know that and I'm prepared for it. But, I'm not sure if I'm prepared for the rest."

  Frozenleaf looked to Icestar, seeking advice.

  "Take her, what harm could it do?"

  He looked back down at the kit, what harm could it do to let her see what she might possibly do? "Okay."

  Dewkit gasped. "Really?"

  "Yes, we'll be leaving now. If that's alright with you? Do you want to tell your mother you're joining me?"

  Dewkit shook her head. "Birchleaf is watching me, I'm sure she'll tell Waterfur if she asks where I've gone."

  "Let's go then." Frozenleaf started walking towards the camp entrance. "It's time for you to meet the other Medicine cats."

  Dewkit rolled her eyes. "I never said I was going to be a medicine cat." She stepped her first paw step out the camp entrance, "It's just be deciding if it's the path I need to take."


	4. Chapter 4

  "Over there," Frozenleaf flicked his tail in one direction, "that's where the border to FrostClan is." Dewkit noticed that the number of trees slowly started to decrease and the ground started to slope down into a flatter area.

  "You're acting as if you're as if I'm an apprentice."

  "But, you're like an apprentice," Frozenleaf stated, the quickly released the look that Dewkit was giving. "For tonight. You're like my apprentice for tonight."

  "I'm not your real apprentice." She murmured under her cold breath.

  "But, you could be." Frozenleaf didn't actually feel like he wanted her as an apprentice, until now. He was finally understanding how it would be like to have another cat with him, helping him in the medicine den and talking to him when no one else could about StarClans prophecies.

 Dewkit was treading her paws lightly, trying to keep her head up. "I guess I could."

  The tom let out a huff of amusement.

  "Hey, Frozenleaf!" a voice mewed from behind him, "Who's this? Did you get an apprentice?"

  "Not quite, Tansystripe." He mewed at the striped she-cat. "This is Dewkit."

  "Dewkit? It's nice to meet you." She lowered her head to the small she-cat. "Did you stalk Frozenleaf out of this camp?"

  Dewkit shook her head. "I asked him if I could join."

  "I want her to become my apprentice, but she's not sure."

  "Another apprentice?" A small tom excitedly mewed from behind Tansystripe.

  The she-cat nodded at her apprentice. "Yes, Sunpaw."

  "You have an apprentice?" Dewkit questioned. "Do all medicine cats need an apprentice?"

  Frozenleaf shook his head. "It's uncommon for all Medicine cats to have apprentices at the same time. Duskleaf and Mapleleaf don't have apprentices."

  Dewkit tilted her head at their names. "Do all medicine cats get the name 'leaf?" Dewkit tried to think of how strange it would be having such a name.  _How would Dew_ leaf _even make sense?_

  The older she-cat chuckled to herself. "No, don't worry Dewkit. It was a common name when those three were apprentices. It was given as a name on honour at the time."

  Dewkit paused, nodding understandingly.  "Where are the others?"

  Sunpaw, who was a short-furred golden cat, butted in. "They meet up at the IcicleClan and CaveClan border and the join us at the StarTree!"

  Tansystripe nodded, praising her apprentice. "Yes, that's right. Should we be off then."

  Dewkit followed closely behind the medicine cats, walked up and down the slightly sloping terrain.

  "Watch out for the bushes, Dewkit," Frozenleaf whispered back to the kit. "There are a lot of them coming up so if I were you, I'd try to be careful where I was putting my paws."

  "Thanks, Frozenleaf." She muttered, slowly her pace to look out for the green blobs and she neared them.

  After what seemed like a lifetime to Dewkit, they finally arrived at the StarTree. Dewkit stood in awe at it. The old willow reached higher than all the others she has seen on her way here, its' branches stretching so far down that they almost touched the ground. The gaps in the branches made moonlight dance on the dusty ground, reflecting off of flowers surrounding the base of the tree.

  "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Sunpaw whispered to Dewkit.

  She couldn't see it in as much detail and he did, but she couldn't help but nod in agreement. "It's stunning."

  "Dewkit, come and lay next to me. I don't want Birchleaf- or Waterfur -to find out you froze-to-death your first time out of the camp." Frozenleaf motioned Dewkit towards him with his tail, his grey fur glittering in the moonlight.

  She walked to him, curling up next to him. He curled his tail around her.

  "Okay, Dewkit, now just close your eyes and rest." He whispered before laying his head on the ground. Dewkit did the same, closing her fuzzy eyes.

  When Dewkit opened her eyes, she didn't recognize where she was. "Frozenleaf? Frozenleaf, where are you?" She screeched, looking around. "Frozenleaf!"

  "Hi." The voice breaking the silence startled the kit.

  Dewkit turned around, looking up the see a sparkling ginger striped she-cat."Hello," she mewed, "I'm Dewkit."

  "I know, I'm Flamestripe." Dewkit was amazed. Why would this random she-cat know my name? "Don't worry, Dewkit. There no reason to be scared of me. I was Frozenleaf mentor."

  "Frozenleaf mentor? You mean you were the medicine cat before him!" Dewkit exclaimed. "Wait, does that mean you're in StarClan?"

  The ginger she-cat nodded, pacing around the grassy clearing, her paws leaving traces on the ground. "Do you know why you're here?"

  She shook her head, staring up at the stunning she-cat. She pondered for a moment, thinking over the several situations in his head. "Wait, did I freeze to death? Frozenleaf told me not to. Waterfur is going to kill him..."

  Flamestripe let out an amused laugh. "Oh, you're just so cute." She patted her paw at Dewkit's ear. "No you didn't die, you're asleep at the StarTree. Do you know what this means?"

  Dewkit bounced on her paws. "It means I can speak to StarClan!"

  The older she-cat nodded, flicking her tail from side to side. "And it's up to you to decide what you're going to do with it." She muttered a final goodbye to Dewkit before her body faded in the grassy field.

  "I know what I have to do now," there was pride in her tone and she talked to herself, fading away "I have to become a medicine cat."


	5. Chapter 5

 "How was it last night?" Birchleaf questioned Dewkit, after sending her kits outside to play.

   Dewkit rolled onto her side, facing the queen, "It was good."

   "Good? You visited the StarTree and your only opinion is  _good_?"

   The blue-grey she-cat shrugged. "I don't get why you're making such a big deal about it. All I did was leave the camp."

   "Big deal?" Birchleaf shook her light grey head, "Of course it's a big deal, Dewkit. Kits don't leave the camp. Ever."

   Dewkit stood her small body, shaking her fur. "I'm going to see Frozenleaf. Do you want anything from the fresh-kill pile first?"

   "A mouse would be nice, thanks."

   Dewkit stepped outside the nursery, grabbing Birchfall a mouse for her then going off to the medicine den. "Frozenleaf?" The young she-cat called from the low hanging leaves. "You in here?"

   A yawn and the ruffling of a nest was heard from inside the den before Frozenleaf stuck his head out. "Hi, Dewkit."

   "Good morning, Frozenleaf. How did you sleep?" The young she-cat mewed at the medicine cat.

   "It could have been better. Is there anything you want to talk about?"

   She nodded her head, her short fur was buzzing with anticipation. "I've made my decision."

   Frozenleaf sighed, "I'm assuming you don't want to be a medicine cat then?"

   "What?" She was shocked and the toms accusation. "No, no. I do! I do want to be a medicine cat!"

   The tom finally woke up, realising what this meant. "Really? Be my apprentice?" He looked down, quickly licking his chest fur in embarrassment.

   "Do we go tell Icestar now?" Dewkit tilted her head unsure of what to do, she hadn't planned this far ahead.

   Frozenleaf nodded, guiding Dewkit out of the medicine den.

   Dewkit couldn't help but ran after him, excited to finally be able to do something other than being trapped in the nursery. She was finally able to do something useful in Icicleclan!

   Frozenleaf didn't ask permission to enter Icestars den, too happy to hear about a possible growling by the looks of it. "Icestar," his mew rang around the den as he entered, "she said yes! She agreed!"

   Dewkit followed him in, to see Icestar talking with Willowtail about patrols.

   "Who agreed?" The brown she-cat questioned, giving a glance to Frozenleaf than Dewkit, making her slightly uncomfortable.

   "By the sounds of it, Dewkit decided to become Frozenleaf apprentice." Frozenleaf nodded at his leader's statement. "Has she told her mother yet?"

   Dewkit shook her head, "I want to tell Waterfur and Birchleaf at the same time."

   "I'm sure she'd love to be able to sleep in the Warriors den again," Willowtail stated, amused. "We can go tell them when Waterfur returns from her patrol, with the toms of course."

   Excited by Willowtails' offer she nodded. It would be easier for a she-cat to tell a queen that their kit was about to be made an apprentice.

   Waterfur and her patrol come back to camp, all carrying plenty of prey.

   "Do you want us to go and talk to them now?" Willowtail asks, gently tapping Dewkit on the shoulder with her tail; waking Dewkit from a daze.

   "Wha- yeah, sure." The small she-cat stands, shaking her fur. She follows Willowtail and Frozenleaf to greet her mother.

   "Hi, Waterfur," the brown she-cat greeted the queen. "How was the patrol?"

   Waterfur stretched her thick furred blue-grey legs. "It was nice to be able to hunt again, and finally stretch my legs!" Dewkit couldn't help but feel sympathetic for her mother, she had been kept in the nursery for 2 extra moons because of her.

   "How about we walk you back to the nursery, I'm sure Birchfall would love to hear about it!" Willowtail flicked her tail, guiding Waterfur and Dewkit to the nursery where Frozenleaf was checking up on Birchleaf and her kits. Dewkit was bouncing behind her mother, following her carefully back to the nursery with excitement radiating from her pelt.

   As the walked in the den, Frozenleaf gave a quick nod at Waterfur as he stopped asking Birchleaf questions. He walked over to Dewkit and gave her a quick lick behind the ear.

   The deputy stopped the blue-grey queen as she was about to lay down in her nest. "There is no need to sit down, Waterfur."

   She tilted her head to one side, confused by why she wouldn't be sitting down after going out on a hunting patrol.

   "Frozenleaf and Icestar have come to a decision about what we should do with Dewkit," Willowtail began, "they believe that it is best that Frozenleaf takes Dewkit on as his apprentice."

   The queen walks over to her kit, "Dewkit, that's great! I'm sure you're going to be a great medicine cat one day."

   Birchleaf nods in agreement, her blue eyes glimmering with joy. "I'm sure your father would be proud of you."

   Dewkit had never met her father, Waterfur says the cat who is her father was a brave warrior who had disappeared only a few sunrises before she was kitted. Waterfur had never mentioned him by name, Dewkit assumed that was to hide her grief for the loss of her mate.

   "He would be very proud of you." Waterfur gave Dewkit a quick lick behind her ears.

   Willowtail interrupted the griefing queens. "Yes, our whole clan misses your father. Waterfur, after Dewkit's apprentice ceremony you can go and move back into the warrior's den and return to all your normal warrior duties." She leads Frozenleaf from the nursery. Frozenleaf quickly flicks his dark grey tail at Dewkit before leaving.

   "You know," Birchleaf started, pushing her kits towards Dewkit, "they are going to miss you, a lot. Specially Woolykit, she'll be stuck with joining in with Rainkit and Branchkit's rough-housing."

   Dewkit looked at the 4 moon old kits in front of her, all around her size now. "I'm going to miss them too, but it will only be a couple more moons until they join me in the apprentice's den. I'm sure Woolykit will watch out for you, so you can both have company."

   "I've got to go organise something with Frozenleaf quickly for you, how about Birchleaf takes you and the kits to go see the other apprentices? I'm sure Snowpaw is tired of her brothers and needs another she-cat to talk to." Waterfur gave her daughter another lick behind her ears before running out to the medicine den.

   "Let's go and see them, they could start teaching these 3 the hunters crouch early." Birchleaf stretched her legs before taking her kits to the apprentice's den.

   "I can't believe you're finally going to be an apprentice." Woolykit mewed next to her as they left, flicking her fluffy black tail. "Before long, I'll be an apprentice and we can hang out with each other when we aren't being trained!"

   Dewkit laughed lightly at the younger she-cat, but she struggled to contain her excitement.  _I'm finally going to be an apprentice and nothing can stop me._


	6. Chapter 6

   Dewkit sat under the Clawmark Branch with her tail wrapped nicely around her feet waiting for Icestars call.

   Icestar climbed up on top of the branch, fluffing his grey patched tail. "All cats that can leave camp, come to the Clawmark Branch for a meeting!"

   Cats walked out of their dens and from the places where they were enjoying the late sunhigh heat. Speckledfrost walked out of the elder's den, stretching his white legs with Birdfeather- his mate -following closely behind.

   "Why is Icestar calling a meeting?"

   "He doesn't usually call meetings at this time, right?"

   Dewkit couldn't help but shift anxiously on her paws, none of these other cats are expecting this and none of them will probably care.  _They don't even know me that well anyway_.

   "As some of you may know, last night Dewkit went to go with Frozenleaf to go visit StarTree. The two of them returned just a bit before dawn and they have come back with great news for all of our clan! Dewkit has decided that it will be best for both her and all of our clan that she is to become Frozenleaf's apprentice!"

   They began to mutter amongst themselves quietly, some with cheers of congratulations and of pride.

   "Dewkit, Frozenleaf can you please step forward."

   She padded forward, meeting Frozenleaf under the branch. She felt under her fur, embarrassed by everyone staring at her.  _This is what I want._ She had to keep reminding herself. She looked up at Frozenleaf's green eyes, they were shining with joy and pride and joy.

   "Dewkit, I know you've been through a lot and have waited for moons for this and I'm proud of you," Icestar began, "from now, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Dewpaw." He shifted his gaze towards Frozenleaf. "I know that you will pass on everything you learned from Flamestripe down to Dewpaw and that you will mentor into being a great medicine cat, that I would be glad to work with for seasons."

   Frozenleaf bent his head down for Dewpaw and they gently touched noses.

   "Dewpaw! Dewpaw! Dewpaw!" The clan rang out her new name, making her embarrassed.

   She looked around at her clanmates to where Birchleaf and Waterfur sat. Woolykit, Branchkit and Rainkit were all sitting there, cheering her new name with Woolykit being the loudest; her black fur fluffed out to its fullest from cheering and bouncing so much. "Dewpaw! Dewpaw!"

   Once the cheering had died out, a she-cat walked up by Dewpaw. "Hey, Dewpaw!" Snowpaw, a white and grey apprentice, called out to her. "It's great that you finally get to become an apprentice!" Snowpaw was noticeably smaller than both her brothers but she was still taller and larger than Dewpaw.

   "It's great, I never thought I'd see the day!"

   Snowpaw smiled at the younger apprentices humour. "So, have you decided where you are going to have your nest? I've got an empty space near mine if you wanna avoid the toms."

   "Surely your brothers' can't be that annoying, can they?"

   Snowpaw let out a sigh, "They aren't but I haven't had a she-cat to talk to in moons. Well, Shinnyfur is a great mentor but not great for casual talk, you know?"

   Dewpaw was impressed by how relaxed Snowpaw was, with Icestar being her father she thought that she would end up being much  _different_ as she grew older. "That makes sense."

   The two she-cats walked into the apprentice's den, Snowpaw leads Dewpaw to the back of the den.

    "This is my nest," Snowpaw pawed at a moss nest near the wall of the den. "I'm sure we can get some moss together to make a nest next to mine for you if you like."

   "Frozenleaf might want me staying with him in the medicine den sometimes so I don't need to fanciest moss you can find," Dewpaw commented, flicking her tail at her new denmate.

   The entrance to the den rustled before two large toms walked in, brushing against each other attempting to get through the small entrance.

   "Dewpaw," the dark grey tom began, sitting down in his nest. "Your mentor needs you."

   Snowpaw shook her head. "Really, Streampaw? She's just getting the settled down in here."

   Slipperpaw, who is a thicker furred version of his brother, interrupted. "I'm sorry Snow, but her mentor wants to steal her away. She's an apprentice now, not a kit."

   Dewpaw was confused for a moment, almost forgetting about Frozenleaf. "It's alright, Snowpaw. I'll be done with Frozenleaf soon then I'll be right back to talk with you later!"

   The white she-cat thought over for a moment. "Alright, I should go and see if Shinnyfur needs my help with anything."

   She flicked her tail at the other apprentices before running off the find the sleek grey she-cat.

   "I should go to Frozenleaf." The small she-cat ducked between the toms, slipping through the entrance and walking slowly across the camp to the medicine den. She called out into the den, just to make sure it was okay for her to enter.

   "Dewpaw?" Frozenleaf questioned to her call. "You don't need to ask permission to enter."

   She stepped inside, finding a place to sit near Frozenleafs stash of herbs near the rear of the den where it was protected from the weather.

   "Okay, Dewpaw. There are a couple of things we need to cover what you know."

   Dewpaw gazed over to the stash of herbs, analyzing how each of them looked. "I know the small black seeds are poppy seeds, they are used to kill or lower pain and make a cat feel tired. And one of the green leafy things is catmint, you gave some to Rainkit half a moon ago when he was becoming sick. But I don't know what with."

   Frozenleaf nodded at Dewpaws' answers, she could tell that her answers were right by the way he smiled. "What Rainkit was coming down with was whitecough, we were lucky to catch it quickly and treat him before it spread to the rest of the camp. Whitecough can be harmful to kits but it's very rare for them to catch it without it coming from another cat in the camp."

   "And that's why you had to treat it quickly?"

   "Yeah." The grey tom thought to himself for a moment before moving closer to his apprentice. "Can you recognize any of them by scent?"

   The apprentice tilted her head. "Why would I need to recognize their scent?"

   The medicine cat lowered himself closer to Dewpaw. "Look, your sight isn't exactly the most trustworthy or reliable thing."

   "I know my sights weak but what does that mean?"

   Frozenleaf sighed, lowering his tone to a whisper. "I'm not meant to be telling you this but, your sight might eventually fade away."

   "Huh?" Dewpaw tilted her head to one side. "What do you mean?"

   "Your eyesight. Although your long distance sight has improved, over the last couple of moon your vision up close has been blurring out. Icestar and Waterfur didn't want me to tell you this because they didn't want to scare you."

   Dewpaw lowered her gaze to the ground, going silent. She tried to process what she had been told.

   "I understand if you need some time to yourself," Frozenleaf muttered, stretching to stand up.

   "No, it's fine. You just want to be safe." She smiled up at Frozenleaf. "And, you said  _might_. That doesn't mean it will happen."

   "That's good." Frozenleaf cast his gaze out the door of the den before falling back on Dewpaw. "It's getting late, you should go and get something from the fresh-kill pile and join the other apprentices, there is a lot we need to learn tomorrow."

   "Night, Frozenleaf." Dewpaw muttered to her mentor, before walking slowly towards where Snowpaw was chatting with her brothers.


End file.
